302 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



introduced specimen, when each of the cobras swallowed 

 their respective morsels and coiled contentedly in their 

 favorite corners. On repetition, the same result was 

 elicited, the cobras appearing to instantly recognize the 

 dangerous character of the long-fanged viperine snake. 

 While deadly and of great size, they were far less coura- 

 geous than the harmless King Snake, Ophibolus, de- 

 scribed in pages preceding. 



Captive King Cobras usually refuse everything but 

 snakes. When feeding, they exhibit considerable cun- 

 ning and agility. When the prey is placed in the cage, 

 it may be seized by the middle of the body and, like a 

 flash, the fangs have done their work. The serpentine 

 prey is rather slow, however, to succumb to the poison 

 and there is generally vigorous opposition on the part 

 of the victim. The cobra regards the superficial wounds 

 inflicted by the struggling quarry with stoical indiffer- 

 ence, working the body of the snake along in its jaws 

 with an idea of getting to the head. At such times it 

 may have much trouble, the victim twisting about its 

 neck. It is then that the larger reptile pauses and awaits 

 a chance of seizing its prey near the head. If the quarry 

 makes an attempt to bite the cobra on the neck or head, 

 the body is released and the approaching head seized with 

 astonishing agilitj^ ; after this performance the engulfing 

 process begins without further trouble. 



The King Cobras in the Zoological Park have no 

 aversion to taking snakes that have been freshly killed. 

 This saves much fighting, as a snake may be tossed 

 directly in front of each specimen. It also affords op- 

 portunities to practice economy: for the snake supply 

 stops abruptly during the winter months. Conse- 

 quentljr, during the cold months, each snake killed is 

 stuffed to the utmost capacity of the elastic body with 



